Connector for multi-conductor tape cable

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector for making solderless contact between two flat multiple-conductor electrical cables. The connector includes a plurality of ring shaped electrical conductors mounted on a shaft within the connector housing. The ring shaped electrical conductors are arranged in the same spaced relationship as the conductors in the tape cable and when the tape cables are inserted into the housing they connect each of the conductors of the first cable in electrical circuit relationship to the electrical conductors of the second cable. In one embodiment, the shaft is rotatable so that should an oxide build up between the ring contacts and the electrical conductors of the tape cable, the electrical contacts may be rotated in contact with the tape conductors to clean the surface of oxide and reduce the resistivity between the contacting surfaces.

United States Patent 1 1 11 1 3,721,940

Michel et al. 51March 20, 1973 54] CONNECTOR FOR MULTI- 2,229,585 1 1941Osenberg ..200/166 PC CONDUCTOR TAPE CABLE 3,651,287 3/1972 Rubenstein..200/ 166 PC 75 Inventors: Donald E. Michel; LeRoy w. Fairbairn; JamesE. Cook, all of Sidney,

Assignee: The Bendix Corporation, Southfield,

' Mich.

Filed: Sept. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 180,801

Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Terrell P. LewisAttorney-Raymond J. Eifler et a1.

[57 ABSTRACT An electrical connector for making solderless contactbetween two flat multiple-conductor electrical cables. The connectorincludes a plurality of ring shaped electrical conductors mounted on ashaft within the connector housing. The ring shaped electricalconductors are arranged in the same spaced relationship as theconductors in the tape cable and when the tape cables are inserted intothe housing they connect each of the conductors of the first cable inelectrical circuit relationship to the electrical conductors of thesecond cable. In one embodiment, the shaft is rotatable'so that shouldan oxide build up between the ring contacts and the electricalconductors of the tape cable, the electrical contactsmay be rotated incontact with the tape conductors to clean the surface of oxide andreduce the resistivity between the contacting surfaces.

16 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHARZO I973 SHEEI 10F 2 FIGURE IDONALD E. M\CHEL LEROY w. FAIRBAIRN JAMES W. COOK INVENTOR.

A TORNEY PAIENTEDHARZOIQH 721,940

SHEET 2 UF 2 DONALD E. MICHEL LEROY W. FAIRBAIRN JAMES W. COOK INVENTOR.

FIGURE 2 BY A TORNEY CONNECTOR FOR MULTI-CONDUCTOR TAPE CABLE BACKGROUNDOF INVENTION This invention relates to an electrical connector forconnecting two or more tape cables in electrical circuit relationship.The invention is also related to an improved tape cable connector thatprovides means for surfaces of the connector that occurs with time.

Solderless connection to multi-conductor flat cables is well known inthe art and descriptions of solderless connections between flat tapecables can be found in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,089,114 and 3,088, 090 to J. C.Cole et al. entitled Electrical Connector and US. Pat. No. 3,004,237 toJ. C. Cole et al. entitled Electrical Connector for Multi-ConductorCables. These prior art patents include complicated assemblies that havecomplex electrical contacts for completing electrical circuits betweentwo cables, and in one instance, require a male and female portion, eachof which is attached to a different tape cable and a connecting portionto connect the male and female portion together. Other prior art tapeconnectors include sharp pointed contacts that are forced through theinsulation and the conductors of the tape cable, stressing the metal andproviding permanent electrical contact. In all types of tape cables,there are generally large numbers of very small conductors present andit is important that exact alignment of the conductors be achieved sothat each connector will make contact only with its corresponding wireand without undue distortion. Alignment is generally achieved by meansof spaced apertures in the connector bodies that contain correspondingcontacts. Characteristic of most prior art devices are complicatedelectrical contacts in the form of ramps and/or fingers made of s pringymaterial which maintained subs'tantial restorative resilience when fullyengaged with the cable or other connector. By restorative resilience ismeant the tendency to restore, to at least an appreciable degree, theoriginal unbent shape of the part. These types of electrical contacts orfingers are expensive to make and difficult to assembly into the connec-SUMMARY or THE INVENTION This invention provides a simply constructedelectrical tape connector with the capability of rotating the electricalcontacts therein to reduce the resistivity between the connectorcontacts and the conductors of the cable as a result of oxidationtherebetween.

The invention is an electrical connector for tape ca bles that ischaracterized by a plurality of ring shaped electrical conductorsmounted in the electrical connector to provide the interconnecting linkbetween the conductors of the tape cable. In one embodiment of theinvention, the electrical connector for connecting a first tape cable toa second tape cable comprises; a

ring-shaped electrical conductors mounted on the shaft, the conductorselectrically isolated from each other and arranged in the same spacedrelationship to I reducing the increased resistivity between the contactm ba e having an axis and means for mounting the second tape cabletransverse the second base axis; and means for mounting the first andsecond bases on the housing so that the axis of each of the bases isgenerally parallel to the axis of the housing and so that each of theconductors of the first cable is in contact with one of the ring-shapedconductors mounted on the shaft and each of the conductors of the secondcable is in contact with one of the ring conductors whereby each of theconductors of the first cable is in electrical circuit relationship withone of the conductors of the second cable. An additional feature thatmay be added to the above connector is that the shaft may be rotatableso that by periodically rotatingthe shaft, the rings in contact with theelectrical conductors of the tape cable are friction cleaned therebyeliminating any build-up of oxide that may have occurred over a periodof time. This reduces the increased resistivity between the contacts andconductors that accompanies oxidation.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedtype of electrical connector for connecting together two or more tapecables.

. It is another object of this invention to eliminate the necessity ofhaving complicated electrical contacts by replacing them with ring typecontacts.

It is still another object of this invention to provide atapeconnector'with a means for periodically moving the contacts thereinwhile the connector is assembled to clean the contacts and therebyreduce any increased electrical resistivity due to oxidation of thecontact surfaces. 7

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a tapeconnector that has a capability of receiving tape cables from anydirection and/or angle and connecting them together.

A further object of this invention'lies in the provision of a connectorof the type which is quickly and easily operated, which is rugged andcompact, and which adds but comparatively little to the weight of theassembly in which it is used.

It is also another object of this invention to provide BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one preferred embodimentof an electrical connector incorporating the principles of thisinvention.

FIG. 2'is a second preferred'embodiment of an electrical connector thatincorporates the principles of this invention and illustrates theadditional feature of a rotatable contact assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, FIG.1 illustrates portions of flattened or ribboned type cables 41, 42 whichare joined together by the illustrative embodiment of the connector.Each of the tape cables 41, 42 have a plurality of thin ribbon-likeconductor strips 43 which are sealed in spaced parallel relationshipbetween upper and lower electrical insulating layers of material bondedto each other to form an insulating body 44. The illustrative cableshown may, for example, be one manufactured by the Tape Cable Company,Rochester, NY. The conductors 43 are generally made of thin copperstrips and the body 44 is generally made of clear, transparent, thermalplastic material such as a polyester resin. Electrical circuit boardscan also be connected together in this manner. The electrical con- Aposes. This is exemplified by FIG. 1 which illustrates an electricalconnector which includes a housing 10, a shaft 20, contacts 30, andidentical base plates 1. Depending on the design of the housingassembly, spacing plates 50 may be required. The purpose of thesespacing plates 50 is to gauge the amount of the ring contact 30 whichextends above a certain plane. Also, the spacing plates 50 may serve tospace the ring conductors 30 on the shaft 20 in the instance where theyare not fixedly mounted on the shaft 20.

The center housing 10 includes a cavity 11 which is adapted to receivethe shaft 20 with the conducting rings 30 mounted on theshaft 20 and thespacing plate 50. Holes 3 in the housinglt) are to provide a passage forafastening means such as the nut 5 and bolt 6 shown in the drawings.

Each of the spacing plates 50 are identical and contain a plurality ofslots 51 that are arranged in the same spaced relationship as theconductors 43 in the tape cable 41. In this embodiment, the spacingplates 50 serve to properly arrange the conducting rings 30 on the shaft20 and provide thecorrect distance that the conducting rings 30 shouldextend above the central housing 10. 1

Each base 1 includes a groove 2 and pegs 4 for locating and properlyorienting the tape cable 41 so that when the base 1 is mounted on thehousing 10 by nut 5 and bolt 6, the electrical conductors 43 are incontact with the electrical contacts 30.

In use, the central portions of the electrical connector come in anassembled for, i.e., the conducting rings 30 are mounted on the shaft20, and the shaft and the spacing plates 50 mounted in the centralhousing cavity] 1. The electrical connector, therefore, comes in threemain pieces, the two bases 1 and the central assembly.

To connect one tape cable 41 to a second tape cable 42, all that isnecessary is that each of the tape cables have their conductors 43 baredand placed in the groove 2 of the base plate 1. Although the end of thetape cable 41, 42 isvshown, the connector can be used to connecttogether two tape cables along any portion of the cable merely byscraping away the insulating material and locating the tape cable in thegroove 2'of the base 1. The pegs 4 in the base I serve as additionalalignment guides and in some instances may be arranged to be a key toaccept only certain tape cables and reject other tape cables. Once theconductors 43 of each of the cables 41 and 42 are bared, and the cablesare located in the bases, the central assembly which includes thecentral housing 10 and the ring conductors 30 is positioned between thetwo bases 1. The bolt 6 is then inserted through the holes 3 in eachportion of the assembly to properly align the ring contacts 30 with thecable conductors 43. The nut 5 is then tightened down on the bolt 6locking the assembly together and pressing the conducting rings 30 incontact with the conductors 43 of the tape cables 41 and 42. Essentialto the proper operation of this connector is the fact that theconducting rings 30 be arranged in the same spaced relationship as theconductors 43 in the tape cable and that when the tape cables are placedin the connector, the electrical conducting rings 30 properly mate witheach of their corresponding conductors 43. In this embodiment, this isaccomplished by the spacers 50, the

groove 2 and the holes 3. Alternately, the spacers 50 could beeliminated by mounting the rings 30 on the shaft 20 in their properspaced relationship and then utilizing the holes 3 in the assembly orany other type arrangement that keys the bases 1 to the central housing10.

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the electrical connectorthat includes the added feature of a rotatable ring assembly that ismounted in a central housing 10 comprised of two identical-parts. Inthis embodiment the conducting rings 30 are mounted on the shaft 20 inthe same spaced relationship as the conductors 43 in the tape cable 41and 42. The shaft 20 includes a cylindrical portion 21 at both endsthereof. At

the end of each cylindrical portion 21 there is a slot 23 for receivinga tool, such as a screwdriver, so that the shaft 20 and the rings 30mounted thereon may be rotated by placing a screwdriver in 'the slot 23and rotating the screwdriver. I g The housing 10 is comprised of each ofwhich include a plurality of grooves 11 arranged in the same spacedrelationship as the rings30 on the shaft 20 and the conductors 43 in thetape 41.

two identical pieces The tape cables 41 and 42 of this embodiment arelocated in the bases 1 in the same manner as the tape cables are locatedin the base plates 1 of FIG. 1.

Once the tape cables 41 and 42 have been properly bared and located inthe bases 1, the connector assembled together and the nut 5 and bolt 6are placed through the holes 3 and locked together, the two tape cables41 and 42 are then connected in electrical circuit relationship. Toassure uniform pressure distribution, another nut and bolt is placedthrough the holes on the opposite end of the connector.

Once assembled, the connector can be mounted on a panel or rack and leftto perform its function for many years. As time passes, oxidation of thesurface of the conductors 43 and conducting ring 30 may occur whichincreases the resistance across the contacting surfaces. This certainlyis disadvantageous in electrical systems where any loss of signal is aproblem. However, the deterioration of the signal strength may bereduced and/or eliminated by periodic maintenance to the connectionbetween the cables. In prior art tape cable connectors this wasaccomplished by dissassembling the connector and cleaning the conductingsurfaces of both the connector contacts and/or replacing the connectorand/or trimming down and baring new portions of the conductors in thetape cables. However, in this second preferred embodiment, preventativemaintenance may be performed merely by placing a screwdriver in the slot23 and rotating the screwdriver one or more times. This rotating actionwill cause the rings 30 which are in pressure contact with theconductors 43 to rub against the conductor surface thereby cleaning thecontacts 30 and, the conductor surface 43. In this regard, the outersurface of the conducting rings 30 may be made slightly abrasive so thatin addition to being good conductors, they also will have a greaterability to scrape foreign matter from the copper conductors 43 of thetape cables 41 and 42.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made tothe invention as set forth in the appended claims, and, in some cases,certain features of the invention may be used to advantage withoutcorresponding use of other features. For example, the conductors mountedon the shaft within the connector housing could be shaped. This type ofcontact would have four contact surfaces that would be capable ofconnecting together tape cables located in adjacent and/or parallelplanes. Further, the conducting rings could be molded directly into thehousing eliminating the need for a shaft or mounting means other thanthe housing. Also, the invention may be used to connect together, in anycombination, tape cables, printed circuit boards, and other parallelspaced conductors. Accordingly, it is intended that the illustrative anddescriptive materials herein be used to illustrate the principles of theinvention and not to limit the scope thereof.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector for connecting a first tape cable having aplurality of spaced electrical conductors to a similar second tapecable, the electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and an axis;

a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing cavity along said housingaxis;

a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors mounted on saidrotatable shaft, said conductors electrically isolated from each otherand arranged in the same spaced relationship to each other as saidconductors of said tape cable whereby said rings mounted on saidrotatable shaft are rotatable;

a first base having an axis and means for mounting said first tape cabletransverse said first base axis;

a second base having an axis and means for mounting said second tap'ecable transverse said second base axis; and

means for mounting said first and second bases on said housing so thatthe axis of each of said bases is generally parallel to the axis of saidhousing and so that each of said conductors of said first cable is incontact with one of said ring conductors mounted on said shaft and eachof said conductors of said second cable is in contact with one of saidring conductors whereby each of said conductors of said first cable isin electrical circuit relationship with one of the conductors of saidsecond cable.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said cables tobe connected is in the form of a flat insulating tape having a pluralityof generally parallel spaced conductors therein, the respectiveconductors of each of the cables being bared at one end thereof.

3. An electrical connector for connecting a plurality of multi-conductorcables in predetermined circuit relationship, said connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity therein and a plurality of openings eachadapted to receive one of said multi-conductor cables;

a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors; and

means for rotatably mounting said ring-shaped electrical conductors insaid housing cavity so that said conducting rings are electricallyisolated from each other and arranged in the same spaced relationship asthe conductors of said cable, said rings mounted to be in communicationwith each of said openings in said housing so that when one of saidcables is inserted into one of said housing openings, said cable haseach of its conductors in contact with one of said conducting ringswhereby when a plurality of cables are inserted into said housingopenings each of said cables are connected in predetermined electricalcircuit relationship.

4. The combination as recited in claim 3 wherein each of said cables tobe connected is in the form of a flat insulating tape having a pluralityof generally parallel spaced conductors therein, the respectiveconductors of each of the cables being bared at one end thereof.

5. An electrical connector for connecting a first tape cable to a secondtape cable, each of said cables to be connected is in the form of a flatinsulating tape having a plurality of generally parallel spacedconductors therein, the respective conductors of each of the cablesbeing bared at one portion ofthe cable, th'eelectrical connectorcomprising:

a housing having a cavity therein;

a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors;

means for rotatably mounted said ring-shaped electrical conductors insaid housing cavity so that said conducting rings are electricallyisolated from each other and arranged in the same spaced relationship asthe conductors of said tape cable; means for demountably attaching andpositioning said bared portion of said first tape cable to said housingso that each of said conducting strips of said first cable is in contactwith one of said conducting rings; and

means for demountably attaching and positioning said bared portion ofsaid second tape cable to said housing so that each of said conductingstrips of said second cable is in contact with one of said conductingrings whereby the first tape cable is connected in electrical circuitrelationship with the second tape cable.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said means for demountablyattaching said first and second tape cable comprises:

a first base having a groove therein for receiving the bared portion ofsaid first tape cable;

a second base'having a groove therein for receiving the bared portion ofsaid second tape cable; and

means for mounting said first and second bases on said housing so thateach of said conducting strips of said first cable is in contact withone of said conducting rings and each of said conducting strips of saidsecond cable is in contact with one of said conducting rings.

7. An electrical connector for connecting a first tape cable having aplurality of spaced electrical conductors to a similar second tapecable, the electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and an axis;

a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing cavity along said housingaxis;

a plurality of electrical contacts mounted on said shaft so thatportions of each contact extend from different portions of said shaft,said contacts electrically isolated from each other and arranged in thesame spaced relationship to each other as said conductor of said tapecable;

a first base having an axis and means for mounting said first tape cabletransverse said first base axis;

a second base having an axis and means for mounting said second tapecable transverse said second base axis; and

means for mounting said first and second bases on said housing so thatthe axis of each of said bases is generally parallel to the axis of saidhousing and so that each of said conductors of said first cable is incontact with one portion of said contacts mounted on said shaft and eachof said conductors of said second cable is in contact with anotherportion of said contacts mounted on said shaft whereby each of theconductors of said first cable is in electrical circuit relationshipwith one of the conductors of said second cable.

8. The combination as recited in claim 7 wherein said contacts are ringshaped.

9. An electrical connector for connecting a plurality of multi-conductorcables in predetermined circuit relationship, said connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity therein and a plurality of 6 openings eachadapted to receive one of said multi-conductor cables;

a plurality of electrical contacts; and

means for mounting said electrical contacts on a rotatable shaft in saidhousing cavity so that said contacts are electrically isolated from eachother and arranged in the same spaced relationship as the conductors ofsaid cable, said contacts mounted to be in communication'with each ofsaid openings in said housing so that when one of said cables isinserted into one of said housing openings, said cable has each of itsconductors in contact with one of said contacts whereby when a pluralityof cables are inserted into said housing openings each of said cablesare connected in predetermined electrical circuit relationship.

10. In combination with an electrical connector of the type having aplurality of electrical contacts arranged within the connector in apredetermined spaced relationship adapted to connect in electricalcircuit relationship the conductors of two multi-conductor electricalcables having their conductors in the same spaced relationship as theconnector contacts by contact between the conductors of the cable andthe connector contacts, wherein the improvement comprises:

means for rotating said contacts within the connector while they are incontact with the electrical conductors of the cable to cause thesurfaces in contact with the contacts to cleanse themselves therebymaintaining the electrical resistance through the surfaces at a minimum.

11. The combination as recited in claim 10 wherein said multi-conductorcables are tape cables and wherein said means for moving said contactscomprises a shaft rotatably mounted within the connector and havingmounted thereon said plurality of electrical contacts, said shafthavingat least one end which communicates with the outside of saidconnector for receiving a means for rotating said shaft.

12. An electrical connector for connecting a first plurality of spacedelectrical conductors to a second plurality of similarly spacedelectrical conductors, the electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and an axis;

along said housing axis;

a plurality of electrical contacts mounted on said shaft so that aportion of each contact extends from different portions of said shaft,said contacts electrically isolated from each other and arranged in thesame spaced relationship to each other as said first plurality ofelectrical conductors;

a first base having an axis and means for mounting said first pluralityof electrical conductors transverse said first base axis;

a second base having an axis and means for mounting said secondplurality of electrical conductors transverse said second base axis; and

means for mounting said first and second bases on said housing so thatthe axis of each of said bases is generally parallel to the axis of saidhousing and so that each of said first plurality of conductors is incontact with one portion of said contacts mounted on said shaft and eachof said second plurality of conductors is in contact with anotherportion of said contacts mounted on said shaft whereby each of the firstplurality of conductors of said first cable is in electrical circuitrelationship with one of the conductors of said second cable.

13. "The combination as recited in claim 12 wherein said electricalcontacts are ring shaped.

14. In combination with an electrical connector of the type having aplurality of electrical contacts arranged within the connector in apredetermined spaced relationship adapted to connect in electricalcircuit relationship the terminal conductors of at least two electricalcircuits, each having their terminal conductors in the same spacedrelationship as the connector contacts, by contact between the terminalconductors of the two circuits and the connector contacts, wherein theimprovement comprises:

means for rotating said contacts within the connector while they are incontact with the electrical conductors of the circuits to cause theterminal conductors in contact with the contacts to cleanse themselvesthereby maintaining the electrical resistance through the surfaces at aminimum.

15. An electrical connector for connecting in predetermined circuitrelationship at least two electrical circuits, each having a pluralityof terminal conductors arranged in the same spaced relationship, saidconnector comprising:

a housing having a cavity therein and a plurality of openings eachadapted to receive the terminal conductors of one of said circuits;

a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors; and

means for rotatably mounted said ring-shaped electrical conductors insaid housing cavity so that said conducting rings are electricallyisolated from each other and arranged in the same spaced relationship asthe terminal conductors of said circuits, said rings mounted to be incommunication with each of said openings in said housing so that whenthe terminal conductors of one of said circuits are inserted into one ofsaid housing openings, said circuit has each of its conductors incontact with one of said conducting rings whereby when the terminalconductors of said other circuit are inserted into said housing openingseach of said circuits are connected in predetermined electrical circuitrelationship.

16. The combination as recited in claim 15 wherein at least one of saidcircuits to be connected includes a substrate comprised of a flatinsulating material having a plurality of generally parallel spacedelectrical conductors arranged along one end of said substrate.

1. An electrical connector for connecting a first tape cable having aplurality of spaced electrical conductors to a similar second tapecable, the electrical connector comprising: a housing having a cavityand an axis; a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing cavity along saidhousing axis; a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors mountedon said rotatable shaft, said conductors electrically isolated from eachother and arranged in the same spaced relationship to each other as saidconductors of said tape cable whereby said rings mounted on saidrotatable shaft are rotatable; a first base having an axis and means formounting said first tape cable transverse said first base axis; a secondbase having an axis and means for mounting said second tape cabletransverse said second base axis; and means for mounting said first andsecond bases on said housing so that the axis of each of said bases isgenerally parallel to the axis of said housing and so that each of saidconductors of said first cable is in contact with one of said ringconductors mounted on said shaft and each of said conductors of saidsecond cable is in contact with one of said ring conductors whereby eachof said conductors of said first cable is in electrical circuitrelationship with one of the conductors of said second cable.
 2. Thecombination as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said cables to beconnected is in the form of a flat insulating tape having a plurality ofgenerally parallel spaced conductors therein, the respective conductorsof each of the cables being bared at one end thereof.
 3. An electricalconnector for connecting a plurality of multi-conductor cables inpredetermined circuit relationship, said connector comprising: a housinghaving a cavity therein and a plurality of openings each adapted toreceive one of said multi-conductor cables; a plurality of ring-shapedelectrical conductors; and means for rotatably mounting said ring-shapedelectrical conductors in said housing cavity so that said conductingrings are electrically isolaTed from each other and arranged in the samespaced relationship as the conductors of said cable, said rings mountedto be in communication with each of said openings in said housing sothat when one of said cables is inserted into one of said housingopenings, said cable has each of its conductors in contact with one ofsaid conducting rings whereby when a plurality of cables are insertedinto said housing openings each of said cables are connected inpredetermined electrical circuit relationship.
 4. The combination asrecited in claim 3 wherein each of said cables to be connected is in theform of a flat insulating tape having a plurality of generally parallelspaced conductors therein, the respective conductors of each of thecables being bared at one end thereof.
 5. An electrical connector forconnecting a first tape cable to a second tape cable, each of saidcables to be connected is in the form of a flat insulating tape having aplurality of generally parallel spaced conductors therein, therespective conductors of each of the cables being bared at one portionof the cable, the electrical connector comprising: a housing having acavity therein; a plurality of ring-shaped electrical conductors; meansfor rotatably mounted said ring-shaped electrical conductors in saidhousing cavity so that said conducting rings are electrically isolatedfrom each other and arranged in the same spaced relationship as theconductors of said tape cable; means for demountably attaching andpositioning said bared portion of said first tape cable to said housingso that each of said conducting strips of said first cable is in contactwith one of said conducting rings; and means for demountably attachingand positioning said bared portion of said second tape cable to saidhousing so that each of said conducting strips of said second cable isin contact with one of said conducting rings whereby the first tapecable is connected in electrical circuit relationship with the secondtape cable.
 6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein said means fordemountably attaching said first and second tape cable comprises: afirst base having a groove therein for receiving the bared portion ofsaid first tape cable; a second base having a groove therein forreceiving the bared portion of said second tape cable; and means formounting said first and second bases on said housing so that each ofsaid conducting strips of said first cable is in contact with one ofsaid conducting rings and each of said conducting strips of said secondcable is in contact with one of said conducting rings.
 7. An electricalconnector for connecting a first tape cable having a plurality of spacedelectrical conductors to a similar second tape cable, the electricalconnector comprising: a housing having a cavity and an axis; a shaftrotatably mounted in said housing cavity along said housing axis; aplurality of electrical contacts mounted on said shaft so that portionsof each contact extend from different portions of said shaft, saidcontacts electrically isolated from each other and arranged in the samespaced relationship to each other as said conductor of said tape cable;a first base having an axis and means for mounting said first tape cabletransverse said first base axis; a second base having an axis and meansfor mounting said second tape cable transverse said second base axis;and means for mounting said first and second bases on said housing sothat the axis of each of said bases is generally parallel to the axis ofsaid housing and so that each of said conductors of said first cable isin contact with one portion of said contacts mounted on said shaft andeach of said conductors of said second cable is in contact with anotherportion of said contacts mounted on said shaft whereby each of theconductors of said first cable is in electrical circuit relationshipwith one of the conductors of said second cable.
 8. The combination asrEcited in claim 7 wherein said contacts are ring shaped.
 9. Anelectrical connector for connecting a plurality of multi-conductorcables in predetermined circuit relationship, said connector comprising:a housing having a cavity therein and a plurality of openings eachadapted to receive one of said multi-conductor cables; a plurality ofelectrical contacts; and means for mounting said electrical contacts ona rotatable shaft in said housing cavity so that said contacts areelectrically isolated from each other and arranged in the same spacedrelationship as the conductors of said cable, said contacts mounted tobe in communication with each of said openings in said housing so thatwhen one of said cables is inserted into one of said housing openings,said cable has each of its conductors in contact with one of saidcontacts whereby when a plurality of cables are inserted into saidhousing openings each of said cables are connected in predeterminedelectrical circuit relationship.
 10. In combination with an electricalconnector of the type having a plurality of electrical contacts arrangedwithin the connector in a predetermined spaced relationship adapted toconnect in electrical circuit relationship the conductors of twomulti-conductor electrical cables having their conductors in the samespaced relationship as the connector contacts by contact between theconductors of the cable and the connector contacts, wherein theimprovement comprises: means for rotating said contacts within theconnector while they are in contact with the electrical conductors ofthe cable to cause the surfaces in contact with the contacts to cleansethemselves thereby maintaining the electrical resistance through thesurfaces at a minimum.
 11. The combination as recited in claim 10wherein said multi-conductor cables are tape cables and wherein saidmeans for moving said contacts comprises a shaft rotatably mountedwithin the connector and having mounted thereon said plurality ofelectrical contacts, said shaft having at least one end whichcommunicates with the outside of said connector for receiving a meansfor rotating said shaft.
 12. An electrical connector for connecting afirst plurality of spaced electrical conductors to a second plurality ofsimilarly spaced electrical conductors, the electrical connectorcomprising: a housing having a cavity and an axis; a shaft rotatablymounted in said housing cavity along said housing axis; a plurality ofelectrical contacts mounted on said shaft so that a portion of eachcontact extends from different portions of said shaft, said contactselectrically isolated from each other and arranged in the same spacedrelationship to each other as said first plurality of electricalconductors; a first base having an axis and means for mounting saidfirst plurality of electrical conductors transverse said first baseaxis; a second base having an axis and means for mounting said secondplurality of electrical conductors transverse said second base axis; andmeans for mounting said first and second bases on said housing so thatthe axis of each of said bases is generally parallel to the axis of saidhousing and so that each of said first plurality of conductors is incontact with one portion of said contacts mounted on said shaft and eachof said second plurality of conductors is in contact with anotherportion of said contacts mounted on said shaft whereby each of the firstplurality of conductors of said first cable is in electrical circuitrelationship with one of the conductors of said second cable.
 13. Thecombination as recited in claim 12 wherein said electrical contacts arering shaped.
 14. In combination with an electrical connector of the typehaving a plurality of electrical contacts arranged within the connectorin a predetermined spaced relationship adapted to connect in electricalcircuit relationship the terminal conductors of at least two electricalcircuits, each having their termiNal conductors in the same spacedrelationship as the connector contacts, by contact between the terminalconductors of the two circuits and the connector contacts, wherein theimprovement comprises: means for rotating said contacts within theconnector while they are in contact with the electrical conductors ofthe circuits to cause the terminal conductors in contact with thecontacts to cleanse themselves thereby maintaining the electricalresistance through the surfaces at a minimum.
 15. An electricalconnector for connecting in predetermined circuit relationship at leasttwo electrical circuits, each having a plurality of terminal conductorsarranged in the same spaced relationship, said connector comprising: ahousing having a cavity therein and a plurality of openings each adaptedto receive the terminal conductors of one of said circuits; a pluralityof ring-shaped electrical conductors; and means for rotatably mountedsaid ring-shaped electrical conductors in said housing cavity so thatsaid conducting rings are electrically isolated from each other andarranged in the same spaced relationship as the terminal conductors ofsaid circuits, said rings mounted to be in communication with each ofsaid openings in said housing so that when the terminal conductors ofone of said circuits are inserted into one of said housing openings,said circuit has each of its conductors in contact with one of saidconducting rings whereby when the terminal conductors of said othercircuit are inserted into said housing openings each of said circuitsare connected in predetermined electrical circuit relationship.
 16. Thecombination as recited in claim 15 wherein at least one of said circuitsto be connected includes a substrate comprised of a flat insulatingmaterial having a plurality of generally parallel spaced electricalconductors arranged along one end of said substrate.